Vertical piano action



A 1945. c. FARNY 2,3 3,3

VERTICAL PIANO ACTION Filed March 10, 1944 Patented Aug. 21, 1945 VERTICAL PIANO ACTION Cyril Farny, St. Charles, 111., assignor to The Rudolph .Wurlitzer Company, Chicago, 111., a 'corporation Application March 10, 1944, Serial No. 525,862

' 8 Claims.

This invention relates to an action for a vertical piano, and more particularly'in respect to the character of construction of the back check and the bridle strap wire.

It has heretofore been common practice'to provide a vertical piano action with a back check wire having its lower end nested in a hole bored in the upper surface of the wippen, provided at its upper end with a wooden back check block having the usual felt cushion thereon.

In addition thereto it has been the practice to separately insert and secure in the upper surface of the wippen a bridle strap wire having a looped or curled end for anchoring the bridle strap. The assembly of these several pieces in each of the many units of the action has always been tedious and time consuming, reference being had in respect to such construction and the action in its entirety, to the Socin Letters Patent No. 2,239,204,

issued April 22, 1941 for Upright piano, and No. l

This may be accomplished by stamping from any suitable sheet material a strip of suitable length and width, splitting down one edge thereof and forming it to provide a one piece integral back check and bridle strap wire, and wherein the back check portion is of such width as to permit of forming a head thereon to receive a felt cushion, the bridle strap wire portion is sufficiently narrow to permit its free end to be curled as an anchor for the bridle strap, and the opposite end of said strip forming a common base for said portions which may have its surface knurled for insertion in the wippen.

By means of this construction not only are the three pieces heretofore employed reduced to a single piece, but the assembly thereof is much simplified. Wherein the material may be of metal or like material having bending characteristics, while formed of one piece or joined at their base, they may be bent, adjusted or regulated independently of each other. Thus the same advantages and functions are obtained wherein a one piece back check and bridle strap wire is provided by permanently joining them above their base before assembly, and wherein they have a common one piece base for mounting as a unit in the wippen.

The full nature of the invention will be underfollowing description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing a portion of the piano action unit. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the one piece back. check and bridle strap wire illustrating in dotted lines its formation from a single strip. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the head portion of the back check shown in Fig. 2, with the cushion felt mounted thereon.

In the drawing there is illustrated a portion of a piano action unit, including a wippen I0 having the usual cushion H, for engagement by a lever, not shown. Said wippen is pivotally supported by a flange l2 from the action rail [3. Pivotally mounted upon the wippen by the flange [4 there is the usual jack I5 engageable with a hammer butt which carries a hammer I'l. butt is pivotally supported upon the action rail by the flange l8 and is provided with a rearwardly-extending hammer check I 9.

The back check comprises the shank portion 20, the base portion 2| and the head portion 22. The bridle strap wire extends upwardly from the common base portion 2| having a shank portion 23 and a curled head 24 to which the bridle strap 25 is connected. I

As indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, both the back strap and the bridle strap wire are stamped and formed from a strip of material, such as metal or the like, by slicing one end thereof to form the bridle strap ofrelatively narrow width. Such narrow strap terminates at its lower end in the common and integral base portion 2|, having its upper end slightly laterally bent away from the remaining portion of the strap and with its free end curled to provide the head 24. The remaining portion of the strap, which is of relatively greater width, forms the shank 20 of the back check which terminates in the wide head portion 22 suitably curved or dished to provide a seat for the felt cushion indicated at 26.

The common base portion 2! may be roughened or knurled for frictional or clamping engagement in a suitable slot provided in the wippen, whereupon the shank portions 20 and 23 may be bent and adjusted as may be desired for the proper functioning of the action.

The above description of the structure as shown in the accompanying drawing is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention. However, both the back check shank and bridle strap wire, or either, may be formed of wire, or of any desired cross sectional shape, and of various materials integral with each other or permanently joined together to provide a unitary structure Said hammer having a common base for mounting in the wippen.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a piano action having a wippen, a one piece back check and bridle strap wire secured thereon to extend upwardly therefrom, said back check and bridle strap wire comprising a stamping from sheet material partially split to space their respective shank: and head portions from each other and provide a common base portion,

the head of said bridle strap wire being formed to receive a bridle strap and the head of the back' check being of a width to provide atcushioning:

seat.

2. In a piano action having a wipperr, aback check and bridle strap wiresecured thereon to" extend upwardly therefrom, the shank portions thereof being fiat to provideaifiatbasesecured.

within said wippen and a correspondingly wide head portion on said back check for providinga cushioning seat, the 'free .endof said bridle strap wire being formed to receive. 2.;- bridle:stra.p

3; In a piano actionhaving aiwippen aback check and a bridle strap wireforrnedz-from a single strip of material, said. bridle-stranwire being of relatively less width .thansaidstripwith its free end formed to receive'a bridlerstrap; said back check having a shank portionofrelatively greater' width than said w-ire with ahead por tion of substantially the width of said. strip-to provide a.cushioning seat.

4. In a piano action having; a-.Wippen,. a one piece back check and bridle-strap; wire.- secured thereon to extend upwardly therefrom, ,the-ishank portions thereof being spaced fromzeachother near their upper freeends, the-upper free end of said back strap'being'of' a. widthztozprovide-a cushioning seat, the upper :iree end tof-saidbridle strap wire being formed to receive arbridlerstrap, and said shank portions terminating at the lowerendv in acommonbase portion adaptedto be secured in said Wippen.

5. In a-piano action having a-.wippen,.a back check and. bridle strap wire secured thereonto extend upwardly therefrom, said back-:check and bridle strap wire being formed from. a: single piece of'material split downone side thereof, one split portion of relatively narrow widthprovidin the bridle strap wire and the remaining portion being relatively wider to provide the back check, the free end of said bridle strap wire being formed to receive a bridle strap and the free end of said back check being the combined width of its shank portion and the bridle strap wire to provide a cushioning seat.

6. In a piano action having a wippen, a back check and bridle strap wire secured thereon to extend upwardlytherefrom, said back check and bridle strap wire being formed from a single piece of sheet material split down one side thereof;. one split portion of relatively narrow width providing the bridle strap wire and the remaining portion being relatively wider to provide'thebackxcheck, the free end of said bridle strap wire being curled to provide a loop for a bridle strapand'the free end of said back check beingthe combined width of its shank portion and the bridle strap wire to provide a seat for a-cushionielt; and saidback check and. bridle strap who having acommonbase portionwith the bridlestrap wire bentlaterally from the shank portion of the back check. I

'7. In a-piano action having-.aawippen a unitarry back-checkand bridlestrap. wirersecured thereon to extend upwardly therefrom; ,theshank portions thereof being spaced 1 from eachother toward their upper freeends; acushioning; seat of greater width than theshank portion provided on the upper: freeend ofzthe'shank' of'the back check; and the-shank portionsor the -back.cheek and bridle straps wire-terminating; attheir lower ends in a commonbaseportion adapted tobe secured in said wippen as a-Hunitary structure;

8-. In a pianoaction' having aawippemgaunitary back check and bridle strap wire;secured thereon to extend: upwardly therefrom, the. shank portions :thereof being joined at :their lower ends 41 tot-provide a, commonbase portionadapted' to be secured .in said wippen, the upper'shank'por tions thereof being spacedfromeach other near their-upper free-ends;,and ahead portion provided on theupper free. endrofnthevbaokstrap shank portion of: agreaterwidth to provide a cushioninggseat.

CYRILEARNY; 

